One problem with waste containers that are stored outside and that contain organic materials is the entry of pets, rodents, and vermin. In particular, raccoons have been shown to be very skillful in the art of getting to the contents of communal and commercial waste containers.
Some containers, especially those designated for the collection of organic waste, have elaborate latch mechanisms that make it difficult for animals to actuate, but allow the human user to open and close the lid with one hand for filling.
To save costs, more and more municipalities use automated trucks to collect waste. These trucks are manned by one driver, who operates the unloading of containers via joystick-controlled grab arms and cameras. This means that any latch mechanism on the container needs to be automatically unlatched during dumping because the driver does not leave the truck in normal operation.
One known solution to the problem is to add a sliding weight to the arm of the truck that actuates a latch on the container. A downside to this type of system is that it requires a specialized arm or a modification to existing dump trucks.
To overcome the need to have to modify the dump system, gravity latches have been developed that unlock the lid of a waste container when a certain tilt angle is reached. Known mechanisms include: U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,358 LOCKING MECHANISM FOR CONTAINER LID; U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,341 GRAVITY ACTUATED CONTAINER LOCK; U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,314 GRAVITY LOCKING MECHANISM EMPLOYING FIRST AND SECOND PENDULUMS FOR SECURING THE LID OF A REFUSE CONTAINER; and FRANZEN International offers a gravity lock for trash carts (http://www.franzenint.com/trash-bin-gravity-locks.html).
The present invention provides an improved waste container with a gravity activated latch mechanism.